Reshaping The Croissant

 Nothing beats a good croissant.There's something about those layers of crackly buttery goodness and chewy melt in your mouth middle. Yet there are patisserie bakers and innovators who want to reinvent this French classic. Will these be the new cronut? There's the question.

Regular contributor Julia Moskin wrote about this in today's New York Times Food section .As she has pointed out it's been ten years since thebirth of Dominic Ansel's cronut, that strange tasty hybrid of jelly doughnut and croissant. What's happening now with this elegant bread? Surprisingly a lot. At Lysee; in New York's trendy Flatiron section baker fills croissant spirals with hazelnut chocolate ganache and then packs them in round cake pan. They''re baked in around cake pan and when cooled torn off like pull apart rolls. Celebated French pastry chef Cedric Grolet nestled  dozens of tiny croissants in a frangipane or almond cream lined tart crust for an Epiphany cake. Then there is Amadou Ly who created the interesting hybrid the laminated baguette. This is taking baguette dough and wrapping it in a thin layer of croissant dough around it. The result is almost like having a thin layer of salted butter on the bread. Chef Ly  is a master in lamination , also creating  twists of dough painted with chocolate ganache to create a kind of inside otu babka. There is even croissant cereal, made by Gautier Croissard at his Apartemente 4 in Brooklyn Heights.

The croissant is nothing new. According to Ms. Moskin the Chinese have subing, while the Balkans have their phyllo dough,North African msemen, South asian roti paratha and Eastern European strudel. An Austrian chef brought the recipe to Paris where butter rich pastries were de rigeur for centuries.Its' ancestry comes from defeat over the Ottoman Empire taking over Vienna or Budspest around the mid 1680's. The bakers were the ones who sounded the alarm against the Turks and asked only that they create a bread, the kipferl to celebrate the Turk's defeat. The standard recipe is flour, yeast butter and milk. The mark of a good croissant baker is based on the shaping.Clean cut  and sharp likes are the test of a good baker. A croissant should be tightly rolled anf golden brown all over.Pale patches and puffiness are often signs of the pastry being made with hydrogenated fats instead of butter. The exterior should be crackly enough to break into shards.Beyond that anything is up for grabs. They can be stuffed with chocolate ,jam or almond paste. kate Reid  of Lune Croissanterie in Melbourne Australia fills her with such interesting combinations like pastami and sauerkraut , chocolate and peanut butter and Vegemite and cheese.

Will the croissant be reinvented again. The answer is yes. It's a blank canvas for so many creative bakers that a different kind will be coming soon.

French Bread Pizza Your Way

 One of the best meals that's easy to make and easy to eat is french bread pizza.It's a quick fix that can be the perfect weekday dinner or weekend .Like pizza it can have many toppings, all good.

Dawn Perry, a cookbook author and food director at Real Simple gave her spin on this kitchen classic in yesterday's New York Times Food section. Pizza is a good meal, especially during these cold times yet to make  it from scratch is sometimes labor intensive. The dough is also finicky. An already baked baguette is perfect.There is one caveat about it. Lengths and widths will vary from fat squishy loaves to thin, crusty baguettes. Smaller loaves require less sauce and a thinner layer of cheese. Ms Perry recommends digging out some of the inside to make room for the sauce and the toppings. (I would just flatten it with a spoon or a fork). This extra can be pulsed into breadcrumbs in the food processor or torn into pieces, tossed with olive oil and salt and baked in a 350 degree Farenheit oven for some crusty breadcrumbs. You can also do the same with Italian bread too, but keep in mind that it's thicker and wider.

Ms. Perry gives three topping recipes , not unlike the giant of French bread pizza, Stouffer's. You can try her four cheese one with a Mornay sauce. This is an easy make involving flour, butter and milk (it can also be used for croque Monsiurs with the addition of grated Gruyere cheese). She uses mozzarella, pecorino and Parmesan. The sauce is spooned over the bread then topped with the cheeses. You can top it with red pepper flakes if you want or a sprinkle of oregano. There's also a pesto and mozzarella version with a pesto that can be made with the original herb basil but also with parsley. arugula and baby spinach leaves. Pine nuts are also needed but almonds can be added too.A fragrant garlic oil, made by cooking garlic in olive oil is brushed on the bread before putting on the pesto and mozzarella. Pizza lovers will enjoy the pepperoni and sauce one. It's a homemade sauce made with petite diced tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and oregano. It's mixed and spooned onto the bread. The pepperoni is tossed with mozzarella and Parmesan to coat it and it's then placed on top of the loaves. More cheese is placed on top for a cheesy bite.

A French bread pizza is the perfect meal on a cold night. It's easy to make and fun to eat. Try it with these tasty toppings.

A Variety Of Breads

We eat it  almost every day of our lives  but we probably don't give it a second thought. What is this food we take for granted? Bread.One of the most ancient foods is literally the staff of life yet the average foodie or even home chef knows little about it.

Bread is one of the world's oldest prepared foods. There is evidence from 30,000 years ago in Europe of starch residue on rocks used for pounding plants.It is speculated that ferns and cattails were spread on a flat rock and then cooked over a fire.Around 10,000 BC, with the Neolithic Age also came agriculture. This brought grain farming which brought bread into the human diet. Yeast was introduced  then giving early bakers leavened dough. Yeast wasn't the only rising agent. Romans used a combination of grape juice and flour along with wheat fermented with wine. In Ancient France and Spain early bakers  used the foam skimmed from beer called barm. Wheat is the most common grain used to make the loaves however ancient grains such as spelt, einkorn, emmer and kamut.That crackly, chewy crust, usually the best part of a bread is created though the Maillard reaction, using sugars and amino acids to create a browned, delicious coating or crust.It's actually healthier than the loaf's interior simply because it has antioxidants along with having more fiber too.

There are so many breads out there/ We Americans grew up on white loaf. More adventurous parents bought the butter split loaves where the tops were ridged and melted butter drizzled on top before baking.wheat bread has always been a favorite along with multigrain.A deli favorite that has been in many a lunchbox is rye. It's a loaf made from rye flour and can range in color from a light brown to a rich chocolate-y hue. Delis also sell pumpernickel . This is another rich brown bread, made with a sourdough starter and rye.It started out as peasant fare, originating in the northwest region of Germany called Westphalia. It 's the perfect foil for the thin , buttery slices of Westphalian ham.One of its' components  sourdough is a popular bread here in the States.French bakers brought it with them when they went to California during the 1849 Gold Rush.It's a white bread with a pleasantly sour taste thanks to lactic acid bacteria or lactobacillus.It's popular at such places as Panera bread Company where you can get in loaf ,roll or bread bowl form.Most people love Italian and French baguettes. These long batons are tasty for breakfast, lunch,and dinner. They make for the best picnic sandwiches and accompaniments with soup. They also turn into the chewiest and tastiest French toast too.

Bread has always been a big part of the human existence. It connects us with our earliest ancestors along with sustaining our lives.It's not just a loaf  - it's history.

Vegan For The Summer

One of the best aspects of summer is that you can nix the meats and live off the land - literally. This is a great time to take that long promised stab at vegetarianism, thanks to all the harvests right now. It's time to discover all these hot weather veggies and the dishes that go with them.

Squash is always popular and is in full harvest right now. Many home farmers have an abundance of them, thanks to their hardiness and ability to thrive. They are versatile from their delicate flowers to the mature vegetable. Squash flowers, those fragile yet delicious blooms, are best made into a kind of fritter. This Provencale and Piedmontese recipe is easy,The flowers do have to be picked early morning before they close for the day. They're then washed and patted dry , ready for battering. The batter is a simple mix of  one cup each of flour and water. One egg and one tablespoon oil are also added for body. The flowers can be fried in margarine,oil, or the preferred French way, butter until crisp. Mature squash is another great versatile veggie.It can be turned into a green version of spaghetti, thanks to a neat little gadget called Veggetti. This hourglass shaped spiralizer turns any squash into a tasty pile of noodles. They can be made with sauce but a better and healthier way is sauteing them in olive oil, tempered with margarine and minced garlic. The spiralizer can also be used to make a tasty cucumber slaw too. Serve with an apple cider based vinaigrette for a nice cool salad.

Of course it's the season of the tomatoes. These bright red gems are the stars of any summer harvest and rightly so. They can be made into any type of dish., from starters to even dessert (technically they classified as fruit). Try them as bruschetta, piled on top of toasted crunchy rounds of Italian bread or as a flavorful salsa. The last can also highlight other summer stars green peppers and onions. This is the time to make homemade sauces for those fall and winter pasta dinners. Fresh ones are great in a pasta crudo where  they 're mixed raw with just cooked spaghetti or angel hair pasta. One of the best way to have them is in a sandwich.Toast your favorite bread, slather on mayo and them layer on the tomato slices Tomaotes can even be turned into a sorbet for an unusual but flavor packed dessert..Another use for them along with eggplants and onions are the French classic ratatouille.Novice home chefs may be put off by the name's fanciness but it's really easy to make.It's basically sauteing sliced the veggies in a garlic and oregano spiced olive oil.They're then cooked down until tender. It's usually served with crusty baguette slices to sop up the juices however it can also be served with rice too. Green and red peppers can be added along with zucchini to mix it up a bit.

Anyone can go vegan on a summer diet thanks to all these abundant harvests. Take advantage of them of them and cook healthy. It's a great boost to your health and to your taste buds!

Fava Beans A Taste Of Spring

The season brings about a plethora of fresh tastes, letting us know Spring is here. The fava bean is one of those.Its' "green" flavor makes it perfect for everything from soups to pate.They're definitely a great addition to barbecues and al fresco dining.

David Tanis knows this and wrote about them in his City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section.This is the time for  them,late spring, and they are tender enough to eat with the pods still on.Fava beans should be incorporated into the diet. They are high in folate and manganese as well as being rich in dietary fiber.The beans are a staple in the Mediterranean diet and figure prominently in Italian, Greek and Spanish cuisines.They are great gracing a minestrone or in salads, thanks to their creamy texture and slightly nutty flavor.The only bad thing about them is ridding them of their pods.It's a tedious chore as Mr. Tanis can attest to. You can avoid this by getting immature pods with no beans inside. These outer coverings can be grilled and are just as versatile as the mature pods and can be grilled over coals or served a la plancha ,cooked on a griddle. They can also be stir fried in a hot work too along with being added to a Spring vegetable soup.. Peeling the older ones is tedious but worth it . Make the work easier by employing the family to help out and doing the day before using is a big help too.

Mr Tanis gives a lovely recipe with the beans being mashed on toasted baguettes slices. The beans have a silky texture that makes them wonderful as a kind of pate. He adds garlic cloves and red pepper along with rosemary. The pepper can be omitted if considered too hot. Try freshly ground black pepper instead. The beans  are first dropped into boiling water and then they're plunged into ice water. They have to be skinned when cooled and this is an easy task.Pierce the skin with  your thumb and then slip it off. These can be prepared up to a day in advance if you don't have the time to do it the day of.The fava beans are then sauteed in olive oil in a skillet over a medium hot heat.  They should be cooked for only a few minutes  but not browned. A half cup of water is added  and then the beans are simmered until softened. Do this for about ten minutes or until most of the water has been cooked off.You can use a potato masher (preferred) or a wooden spoon to roughly mash the favas.Return them to the stove  and cook on a medium heat. This is the time to add the pepper and rosemary along with a little water if the mash is too much. Transfer the bean mash to a warm bowl as you prepare  the baguette slices.Smear a tablespoon or more on each slice. You can drizzle some olive oil and a light sprinkling of sea salt on them if you want.

This is the time of year for fava beans. Make them in a tasty pate or add to  a Spring vegetable soup. They are a great addition to any dish.

Store Cooked - The Easy Way Out

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Easter Monday Picnics

The Easter weekend is a great time to get together with family and friends.There's church  services, egg hunts, fun dinners and wonderful desserts. Europeans extend the holiday to Monday where it'sa time to enjoy family and friends on the first outing of the season.

If you and your family or friends are lucky to have Monday off, then take advantage of the weather. Even if it's a rainy or snowy day, have a lunch together with the leftovers from Easter Sunday. Nothing beats ham sandwiches and they can either be thick slices of it , carved from the holiday roast or made into deviled ham. This last is easy . Take about two cups of coarsely chopped ham, along with  about three tablespoons of mayo and put into a food processor. Pulse until smooth You can add Dijon  mustard or celery seeds for some kick. Some add a drop of maple syrup for sweetness but it's really not necessary . Homemade deviled ham tastes best on a crunchy baguette. but can also be good on whole wheat bread too. Use up any potato salad leftover that went with the ham and throw in some pickles or gherkins,If you've had a snowy or rainy holiday, then use the holiday ham to make a hot and satisfying hot pea soup. The ham bone will definitely add to the flavor

Any extra hard boiled eggs can be made into a tasty egg salad. Add some tarragon for more flavor and color.. You could also just bring the eggs and then peel and salt them when you're hungry. If you didn't cook for Easter , then think about buying an already roasted chicken . It can be sliced and eaten as or made into sandwiches. Buy some potato or macaroni salad too for a more substantial lunch. An Easter Monday picnic is also a good time to sneak some fruit into the diet after a weekend of candy and cake. A nice apple or pear  along with grapes is a refreshing change from all those jelly beans and Peeps. You can also bring granola or Kind bars if you're planning on hiking or playing ball.


Extend the holiday weekend if you can. Turn Easter Monday into a picnic day, full of fun and food. Spend it with friends and family

Bread Puddings Savory And Sweet

Bread pudding is one of the most versatile and easiest dishes to make. It can be a savory casserole like strata or a gooey dessert like a brioche pudding;Best of it, its' hearty and satisfying ,the ultimate comfort food for combatting the crazy days ahead of us.

Savory bread puddings are the perfect weekend meal. All you need is stale bread for starters and the  rest is up to you. One of the best recipes is the zuppa montagne , a Piedmontese winter dish made with stale Italian bread, chicken or vegetable broth and Swiss or Fontina cheese. A more textured version is subbing in breadsticks (the Stella D'oro kind works best here) and layering on the bottom of a casserole dish. If you want crunch and texture added shredded cabbage , preferably the Savoy kind , cooked in butter , as a second layer. The cheese is then layered on followed by the broth. Use three to four ladlefuls of this , reserving some of the broth to pour over later. Cook at 325 degrees Farenheit for forty minutes. You can also microwave this too for a quick five to six minutes.There is a popular rosemary and bacon bread pudding circulating on the web right now.This is a custardy version , involving eggs. along with sharp cheddar and of course, bacon. Sauteed onions are also thrown in for sweetness.After baking in a 375 degree oven for forty minutes, it's all set to come out, golden and puffy like a cheese soufflé. For those who love something more exotic , try strata which means layers. Stratas can be made for any meal, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's layers of bread,peppers. bacon and onions with milk and cream added for pure custardiness.

Sweet bread pudding is a nice change of pace from the usual cakes and pies.It's also a homey treat at a tree trimming or holiday party. One recommendation is using stale baguettes or Italian bread instead of regular white bread.It gives the pudding chewiness and texture along with a mellow yeasty flavor. Still use three or four eggs but cut back on the sugar. Many recipes call  for a cup of white sugar. I'd halve that or use a more earthier tasting brown sugar. Milk or cream can be used . These can be mixed., because using just cream can make the dish heavy and dense. Purists will want raisins for more sweetness. Many (including myself) are not fans of this. If you want extra sweetness, try a  dollop of salted caramel drizzled on it.A truly decadent variation is New Orleans style which uses a buttery whiskey sauce as an accompaniment. If you want something decadently Gallic , try a brioche bread pudding. Brioche is a yummy French roll, egg and butter rich.It is the perfect ingredient in a decadent dessert. Add cream, and butter along with eggs, sugar and brandy to bake with it into a lush pudding.Lemon or orange zest can be added for more color and flavor. Serve this with whipped cream or crème Anglaise, a sauce that combines cream, sugar eggs and Armagnac brandy.

A savory or sweet bread pudding is a great slice of comfort during this hectic holiday times ahead A slice of strata is a great weekend meal while a brioche bake is the perfect dessert for a holiday party.Make the traditional or create your own for some yummy fun.

An Elegant Fall Outing

Autumn is a beautiful time of year for picnicking outdoors.It really cries for an elegant spin on the meal, with whole cold roasts as opposed to the usual quickly made sandwiches and slaws The menu should be both classy and classic.Top it off with a soft or hard cider for some variety and kick.

Instead of the usual picnic fare think whole roasts. You can roast a chicken, Cornish hens or even a turkey breast the night before and let chill(you can also use leftovers too).Quail or partridge also works here and you can either buy it on line or from a good poultry farm in your area. A cold London broil is another good choice.. Nix any gravy , it would be to messy to bring along . Besides the roasts have their own juices anyway that can be sopped up with bread.As for bread aim for baguettes.or brioches. These can accompany the meat or are perfect for pates and cheeses. Sides can be simple: tomatoes with a sprinkle of  sea salt, boiled artichokes with lemon wedges or lettuce wraps filled with steamed veggies. Another route is fish and seafood. You could have cold poached salmon with a light sauce or even a shrimp cocktail with a spicy dip. Make sure the shrimp have been peeled before you pack them. Nothing ruins an elegant outing more than having piles of shells scattered about. For something much simpler think easy pates or a variety of cheeses, form sharp English cheddar to creamy French brie dabbed on sliced baguette rounds.

Desserts can be simple yet decadent. Shortbread is always a good choice. It's rich and classy along with being the perfect end to an outdoor meal.Tuiles, those delicate French butter cookies would be  right in place too. They can be baked into cones and filled with raspberries(in season right now) and crème fraiche for a decadent dessert. They are also good just baked in the traditional style , a square resembling a roofing tile,hence the name. Pears are just coming into season and creating a pear tart with a buttery crust would be a perfect end to a feast of  cold roasted Cornish hens or salmon. Apples, too are also out right now. Pair slices with sharp cheddar for a different take or bake into a galette. This  last is a rustic Gallic spin on the traditional pie and is just as easy to make. Have thermoses of good espresso or tea  to drink with it.if you can , bring a flask of brandy along to add for fun and to keep the chill out along with containers of whole cream for the coffee and tea. A packet of chocolate mints is a nice touch so remember to pack those.

The crisp air and even crisper fall ware call for an elegant outdoor meal. Pack up one and take to your favorite place  and enjoy. Nothing is better or more decadent than eating classy food outdoors on a beautiful chilly day.

How To Make Your Dishes Crumby

Want to jazz up that average piece of chicken breast or pork chop ? Add a  coating savory crumbs.The transformation is amazing, turning a bland piece of meat into something special.Crumbing  isn't only restricted to meats. Veggies can be given a golden glow too. Either way it results in a more flavorful dish.

The average  crumbing usually consists of bread crumbs and some variety of herb  for added flavor. Most peopleusually buy them already ground up and seasoned with either Parmesan, oregano or rosemary. This is great if you haven't the time to make your own. However making them opens the door to all sorts of different varieties. There can be pumpernickel, for an earthy, taste that would go well with pork, Ground baguettes work for shrimp and chicken, A healthier version would be ground up whole wheat bread or rolls. . If you want a smoother coating then opt for the Japanese pangko. This is just crumbs made without the crust included. It results in a lighter, airier coating, perfect for tempura and veggies. Some also use cracker meal which again givers a thinner, crispier coating than regular bread crumbs.

Crumbing is one of the easiest techniques used to improve meats and veggies. It starts off with one or two well beaten eggs depending on how  much you're  going to coat or crumb. The bread crumbs should be on a separate plate , in a small mound.At this point  if you want to add salt and pepper you can. As the plates are being set out, heat either oil, butter or a combination of the two for frying.  Coat the meat tor veggies completely and then dredge in the crumbs . Shake to remove any excess and then fry until golden. More bread crumbs will probably have to be added to the mound . Some restaurant and home chefs swear by first refrigerating the meat or veggies  for thirty minutes  straight after coating. It supposedly creates a more even surface. Also make sure that the oil is hot( not smoking hot though) because higher temperatures seal on the coating.

Make your chicken , pork chops or veggies.chops crumby if you want them to stand out. Adding a layer of crumbs, enhances the taste and makes it special. Crumbing makes food golden literally and figuratively!

The Heat Is On!!

You're probably roasting right now if you live in the New York metro area. We're undergoing a rare late April heat wave that's making everyone lethargic and full of beach fever. It's nice to have the hot weather after a rainy cold, spring however with it comes problems. The main one is wanting to cook when you're as hot as an oven

What to do?

Chill out. Literally. Start putting yourself in a summer cooking mode. This means use the microwave more than the oven and create easy simple meals that are both fresh and tasty.

Salads are a good hot weather meal. You can create a true Nicoise with tuna, olives, fresh sliced peppers and tomatoes. Mix all of this with a head of Romaine, olive oil and red wine vinegar. For more added protein and body toss in a few sliced hard boiled eggs. Serve this up with sliced French or Italian baguettes . Another easy meal is a microwaved version of a stir fry. Cook up fresh (preferably) or frozen vegetables, with some sliced garlic, sesame (or olive oil) and some freshly cut ginger.Cook for all of two minutes and serve with microwaved brown rice. You can add almonds for nutrition and crunch too. You can also throw in any leftover grilled chicken or steak from last night barbecue.

Sandwiches are a foodie's best Friend d in the summer. Use whole wheat bread (or baguettes) and fresh veggies for a tasty quick lunch that can be brought to the office or on a picnic. You can do a quick roast of peppers and toss these on along with sun dried tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Another quick , summer sandwich is chicken or ham salad on a roll. You can chop up any leftover chicken or ham as well as using the deviled kind and then mix with mayo and herbs .You can also put this blend into hollowed out peppers and tomatoes and serve with a small tossed salads. As sides you can have anything from fresh salad (such as onion and three bean) to raw veggies and dip. These are a snap to make and give some zip and zest to lunch and dinner.

Don;t panic if the heat is on. A Spring heat wave is a time to get ready for summer- and that includes cooking. Just chill out with easy to make dishes.

Bread Basket

As every person knows bread is an important part of our lives. As every foodie knows a person can't live on white bread alone. Nowadays there are so many different kinds to choose from round loaves to artisanal whites.What to choose? They're all good and delicious.

The French have cornered the market on many different varieties ofpain. The French make their bread without any fat hence the reason why it is so crisp and delicate in flavor. Usually a baguette or long bread lasts only a day otherwise it will get hard (but you cna grind up the stale baguette for some awesome bread crumbs).A sliced baguette is perfect for any kind of sandwich because the taste doesn't overpower the sandwich's filling. There is also the thinner version known as ficelle which means string. There is also the pain viennois. This is a softer, fatter version of the average baguette. The French also love a good chewy peasant loaf known as or ball. This is perfect for sopping up gravies or even for making French toast. The French also put raisins or nuts in their bread for an extra treat as well as making a type of focaccio with bacon, onions and herbs known as .
fougasee.

Italians are also passionate about their pane and every good Italian bread store has a huge and calorie lethal assortment.There are over 350 types of bread, each region making its' own special recipe. My Piedmontese ancestors were the first to sample the breadstick, a specialty of the royal city of Torino. These long sticks were made by a clever Piedmontese baker,Antonio Brunero, in 1679 to tempt the appetite of an ailing young Savoyard prince. The grissin strat became such a big hit that city states copied it. However for the real thing it's best to head to Piedmont and have them. Other Italian breads include the herbed focaccio , popular in central Italy and variations of pizza bread from Naples and other parts of Southern Italy. There is also the Sardinian flat bread that puffs to a nice golden brown when rebaked.

Other countries have contributed to the world's bread basket. Germany has given us rye and Easter sweet bread while India has given us nan. The US has contributed with sourdough and a variety of different breads such as banana nut and zucchini.

The next time you're in the mood for a good slice of bread, think about the different types. Don't just go all white bread. Choose a crusty baguette or a dark satisfying rye. Vary your bread basket.